The One Place of Worship

12 These are the decrees^(A) and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land.^{(B) 2} Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains,^(C) on the hills and under every spreading tree,^(D) where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. ³ Break down their altars, smash^(E) their sacred stones and burn^(F) their Asherah^(G) poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names^(H) from those places.

⁴ You must not worship the Lord your God in their way.^{(I) 5} But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name^(J) there for his dwelling.^(K) To that place you must go; ⁶ there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes^(L) and special gifts, what you have vowed^(M) to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.^{(N) 7} There, in the presence^(O) of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice^(P) in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

⁸ You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,^{(Q) 9} since you have not yet reached the resting place^(R) and the inheritance^(S) the Lord your God is giving you. ¹⁰ But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving^(T) you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest^(U) from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. ¹¹ Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name^(V)—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord.^{(W) 12} And there rejoice^(X) before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites^(Y) from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance^(Z) of their own. ¹³ Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please.^{(AA) 14} Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose^(AB) in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.

The Church in Antioch

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed^(A) traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch,^(B) spreading the word only among Jews. ²⁰ Some of them, however, men from Cyprus^(C) and Cyrene,^(D) went to Antioch^(E) and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news^(F) about the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them,^(G) and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.^(H)

²² News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas^(I) to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done,^(J) he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.^{(K) 24} He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit^(L) and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.^(M)

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus^(N) to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples^(O) were called Christians first^(P) at Antioch.

²⁷ During this time some prophets^(Q) came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ One of them, named Agabus,^(R) stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.^(S) (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)^{(T) 29} The disciples,^(U) as each one was able, decided to provide help^(V) for the brothers and sisters^(W) living in Judea. ³⁰ This they did, sending their gift to the elders^(X) by Barnabas^(Y) and Saul.^(Z)

The Year for Canceling Debts^(A)

15 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.^{(B) 2} This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. ³ You may require payment from a foreigner,^(C) but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. ⁴ However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless^(D) you, ⁵ if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow^(E) all these commands I am giving you today. ⁶ For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.^(F)

⁷ If anyone is poor^(G) among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted^(H) toward them. ⁸ Rather, be openhanded^(I) and freely lend them whatever they need. ⁹ Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,^(J) is near,” so that you do not show ill will^(K) toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.^{(L) 10} Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;^(M) then because of this the Lord your God will bless^(N) you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. ¹¹ There will always be poor people^(O) in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.^(P)

Freeing Servants^(Q)(R)

¹² If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free.^{(S) 13} And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. ¹⁴ Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor^(T) and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. ¹⁵ Remember that you were slaves^(U) in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you.^(V) That is why I give you this command today.

¹⁶ But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, ¹⁷ then take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your female servant.

¹⁸ Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because their service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.

Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison

12 It was about this time that King Herod^(A) arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. ² He had James, the brother of John,^(B) put to death with the sword.^{(C) 3} When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews,^(D) he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.^{(E) 4} After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.^(F)

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.^(G)

⁶ The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains,^(H) and sentries stood guard at the entrance. ⁷ Suddenly an angel^(I) of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.^(J)

⁸ Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. ⁹ Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.^{(K) 10} They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself,^(L) and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

¹¹ Then Peter came to himself^(M) and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me^(N) from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

¹² When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark,^(O) where many people had gathered and were praying.^{(P) 13} Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.^{(Q) 14} When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed^(R) she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

¹⁵ “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”^(S)

¹⁶ But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. ¹⁷ Peter motioned with his hand^(T) for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James^(U) and the other brothers and sisters^(V) about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

¹⁸ In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.^(W)

Herod’s Death

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea^(X) and stayed there. ²⁰ He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon;^(Y) they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.^(Z)

²¹ On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. ²² They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” ²³ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel^(AA) of the Lord struck him down,^(AB) and he was eaten by worms and died.

²⁴ But the word of God^(AC) continued to spread and flourish.^(AD)